“The word in town is that the broth at the local noodle house is to die for. The secret? The people who run the shop were on the brink of death! They call themselves COUNTERS and have partnered with ghosts from the afterlife to hunt down rogue spirits. When ordinary high schooler Mun is invited to join them, his whole life flips upside down. Can his new job of fighting evil and chopping noodles give him the answers to his parents' mysterious deaths all those years ago?” (Ize Press)
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“The Uncanny Counter”‘s initial success on the Webtoon format and subsequent live-action adaptation as a popular two-season Netflix Original has marked it as an exciting prospect to bring to print alongside other stand-out titles from IZE Press. Those new to the series will find that it certainly has strengths worthy of its popularity, but it also suffers from notable shortcomings.
The series undeniably excels under the writing of Jang E, with an abstract concept of supernatural heroes melding perfectly with coming-of-age drama. Protagonist Mun is perfectly poised to fill the role of a hero from the familiar narrative of an injured/troubled past with a strong moral compass transitioning into a powerful duty. In many aspects, the series is the closest definition of a ‘traditional hero story,' but there is enough variety and intriguing world building to take effective core fundamentals and build upon them. This also extends to the other ‘counters' who represent a sort of rag-tag bunch of heroes, both shaped by the tragedies that gave them their powers in the first place.
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The mash-up of genres also works exceptionally well with the series, again speaking to its choice for a live-action adaptation. Building off a competent character study of the hopeful Mun, “The Uncanny Encounter” weaves in horror, comedy, and action. Arguably defying a singular genre definition, ‘supernatural thriller' may be the most apt description of the work, with voices from the afterlife serving as Mun's source of powers and demons bringing the conflict. The story is, truly, one that is best approached with little knowledge, as the way the various elements come together under a strong protagonist is what makes the series an addicting page-turner, a saving grace considering its biggest downfall.
The undeniable shortcoming of “The Uncanny Counter” rests in its art direction. Utilizing 3D assets and a rushed schedule in the WebToon format is reason to give many creators grace in the visual quality, but the lack of skill here is stifling. At best, the characters evoke the enthusiasm of youth, and their expressions are playful and humorous. However, any attempt at detailed work shows limitations, with the elderly, in particular, being ghastly. An artist's ability will always rest on what they can draw outside of their main characters, with true skill coming from being able to draw backdrops or vastly different character types; Jang E can't do either.
However, “The Uncanny Counter” proves that artistic skill is not always needed if one can write a memorable story in the WebToon format; as jarringly poor the visuals are, its popularity in the medium is undeniable. The writing truly saves the work, and one can see why it was chosen to be adapted into live-action. The story is original in the medium, utilizing horror, action, comedy, and drama in a balanced and approachable way. As such, the series is simultaneously one of the best written to come to print while also being the ugliest; if you can ignore the dopey faces and overuse of existing assets, “The Uncanny Counter” weaves an addicting story.
